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Home > First Year > Graco Expands Car Seat Recall But Still Does Not Include Infant Seats

Graco Expands Car Seat Recall But Still Does Not Include Infant Seats

Melissa Willets

About the Author

Melissa Willets is a mom of three girls, one of whom is a newborn. She writes about pregnancy, parenting, home, health, and beauty. She loves running and drinking red wine - but never simultaneously.

About the Blog

WhatToExpect.com supports Word of Mom as a place to share stories and highlight the many perspectives and experiences of pregnancy and parenting. However, the opinions expressed in this section are those of individual writers and do not reflect the views of Heidi Murkoff of the What to Expect brand.

Last month Graco recalled 3.8 million car seats due to faulty buckles. Now the company has expanded this recall from the initial 11 models to include nine more. But the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is still demanding to know why infant seats made with the same buckle are not being recalled.

According to USA Today, these 403,000 plus car seats have been added to the initial recall because they too are equipped with buckles that can become stuck in the locked position. Parents have reported that they've had to cut their children out of the straps, which obviously presents a highly concerning safety risk. The issue seems to occur when the buckle becomes sticky due to a child eating or drinking in the seat.

Previously Graco said that they were not recalling 1.8 million infant seats, despite the fact that they too could become stuck, because the seats can be detached from the base in an emergency. A spokesperson also cited that babies do not eat or drink on the go.

I challenger this assertion because a baby can ride in an infant seat well past his or her first birthday. According to the most recent safety guidelines, children are supposed to sit rear facing until they turn two. So, couldn't an 18-month-old conceivably sit in an infant seat having a juice? Yep!

The NHTSA continues to push the car seat manufacturer to recall the infant seats. March 20 is the deadline for a satisfactory explanation of why they are not included.

For now, Graco is offering replacement buckles to consumers who own infant seats. My eight-month-old rides in one — it's brand new — and I contacted the company over a month ago for a replacement. I'm still waiting.

If your child rides in a car seat that is affected by this recall, you are advised to call 800-345-4109 or email the company at consumerservices@gracobaby.com to receive your replacement buckles. The NHTSA has advised caregivers not to use the recalled seats until replacement buckles are installed.